One of Sophia Fried’s many reasons for making aliyah was to make it easier for her children to find frum marriage partners. The thought of them going to university in England worried her terribly as no one is immune to the temptations that abound in such a non-Jewish atmosphere, even those from religious homes.
So they moved to Israel while the children were relatively young to make their absorption less difficult and when the time came she encouraged her daughter, Dina, to apply to Bar Ilan University. Dina had no objection as it had a good reputation and she told her parents she wanted to study English Literature.
Her mother was horrified. “Why on earth do you want to study English literature here in Israel? No boys study English Literature. No. I want you to apply to study Law, lots of religious boys study to be lawyers and you’re sure to be outnumbered.”
“But Mum I’m going to study, not look for a marriage partner. I don’t want to study law. I have no interest whatsoever in Law and I’m applying for the English Literature degree course.”
Sophia wasn’t to be put off so easily. “Okay, we’ll make a deal. I won’t make you sit for Law, but I do want you to apply for the course and try it for one semester. Then if you’re not happy, you can change. That’s my final word if you want us to pay for your studies.”
Dina thought the whole idea was crazy, but no amount of persuasion would shift her mother. She was determined that the Law class was Dina’s best chance of finding a husband, and that was the real reason she wanted her to go to college. So Dina applied, assuming she wouldn’t even be accepted to study law as the competition for places was fierce and the academic demands high. But to her great amazement and disappointment she was accepted.
So Dina started at Bar Ilan after the Chagim and spent most days sitting in the back row hoping to be ignored. When the semester was over, she told her mother that she had kept her end of the bargain, had hated it and been bored stiff and was now changing over to the English Literature course as they had agreed. No boy had spoken to her nor even looked at her in all the time she had been there and she was tired of wasting her time.
Her mother reluctantly agreed and Dina happily joined the class and caught up on all that she had missed. She delved deeply into the tomes of her favorite ancient authors and never gave law another thought.
A few weeks later Sophia had a phone call. “Hullo, my name is Shira Grossman, am I speaking to Dina Fried’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’m a shadchan by profession and I was asked to suggest a young man by the name of Aaron Lehrer for your daughter Dina.”
“But where do you or Aaron know my daughter from?”
“Aaron is a law student in Bar Ilan and he noticed your daughter in class. He commented that he hadn’t seen her for some time and was rather worried that maybe you had left the country so he decided that he had better make a move now and not wait any longer.”
Sophia smiled to herself. If it’s bashert, it’s bashert. They had both been right. The boy was studying law and that’s where he’d seen Dina. But Dina didn’t need a degree in law to find her husband – one semester was enough.
Dina and Aaron will soon celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.